CARING FOR YOUR EARLY ROMANTIC GUITAR

Congratulations on choosing a fine handmade reproduction of a classic 19^th century guitar. To ensure many years of faithful service here are a few simple but necessary bits of information that should be adhered to.

1. First and foremost, strings. Never use high/extra high/hard/extra hard tension strings on your Early Romantic guitar. The instrument is designed to use gut or appropriate nylon period guitar strings. These can be purchased through La Bella Strings (http://www.labella.com/) and Savarez (http://www.savarez.fr/anglais/index.html).

I recommend the following string sets:

A. La Bella ERG#7 - Early Romantic Guitar Varnished Gut

B. La Bella ERG#1 - Early Romantic Guitar Nylon

An excellent and inexpensive string for everyday use I recommend:

A.     La Bella 2001L - Light Tension

B.     D'Addario J43 Pro Arte Light Tension Nylon

2. The pitch of the 19^th century guitar has been debated for many years and that debate will no doubt continue for many years more. I recommend that my instruments be tuned to A430 or about ¼ step lower than the modern A440.  This brings their tuning in line with findings from the most recent research. Should you wish to tune to A440 modern concert pitch I strongly advise using only the above mentioned strings. For higher tension strings such as Aquila 19th Century Style Gut Strings (http://www.aquilausa.com/) or D'Addario J45 Pro Arte Normal Tension Nylon, I recommend tuning ½ step down or closer to A415.

3.   And a few Do’s and Don’ts:

      Don’t

·         Don't leave your guitar in extreme weather condition like the car when the heat is high.

·         Don't leave your guitar in a high humidity or damp location like the basement.

·         Don't lean your guitar against a wall when not using it. Keep it in a case. It is very easy for the guitar to tip over, fall, and be damaged.

·         Don't play the guitar with dirty hands. The natural oil of your hands can shorten string life and damage the fine wood.

·         Don't handle your guitar roughly - treat it gently with respect.

·         Don't place anything in the sound-hole. Humidifiers should be the in-case kind rather than the kind that are inserted in the sound-hole.

·         Don't use furniture polish or commercial cleaners on your guitar. Your Early Romantic Guitar is hand finished with a natural resin based varnish and it can be damaged by the use of many types of furniture cleaners.

Do:

·         Do clean your guitar regularly. I clean mine every time I change the strings. With the strings removed it is easy to inspect for damage or problems and clean all the small areas.

·         Do be careful with water based liquids (including perspiration) near your guitar as it can damage the fine finish. The instrument has had a thin coat of refined bees wax applied before leaving the shop to help with this but to aid in a long finish life diligence is recommended.

·         Do use an approved polish and soft cotton or silk cloth to clean you instrument.

·         Do inspect your guitar regularly for damage or issues.

·         Do change your strings regularly.

·         Do wash your hands before you play.

·         If you do not have a proper case, get one and keep your guitar in it with the latches closed when not in use.